Tobacco companies target teens with sweet smokes

Flavored tobacco: Tricks disguised as treats?

On a day when trick-or-treaters and candy reign supreme, Tobacco Free Florida is warning parents to pay attention to candy flavored cigars and snuff, which it says are being marketed to teens. One in three high school students reports they have tried smoking cigarettes at least once.

Quick Clicks

Teen smoking levels mirror those of adults; just under one in five. That's down from 27 percent 15 years ago when the state started its anti-smoking campaign. Now SWAT, or Students Working Against Tobacco, say they are being targeted once again through flavored tobacco.

"For instance, this orange tootsie roll flavor kind of looks like this cigar right here," said Matthew Goodson, Students Working Against Tobacco.

"So you think this is an obvious attempt to market to kids?"

"I definitely agree. I definitely think so," Goodson said.

Students said the flavored cigars are popular on this high school campus.

"Maybe the smoking of cigarettes are down, but you see a lot of people smoking "blacks," chewing tobacco," said one student.

Federal law already prohibits the sale of candy flavored cigarettes. But a loophole allows for cigars and other products. SWAT Coordinator Vincent Irving says the new products are a trick disguised as a treat.

"The Snus product is now marketed like a mint packaging. Like you see the small mints, just pop in your mouth, the same way this product is packaged, so it makes it a little bit more friendly for those who don't want people to know that they're using tobacco products," Irving said.

Dozens of cities and counties have passed resolutions opposing the sale of flavored tobacco products, but Florida law pre-empts all regulation to the state.

A spokesman for Altria, the nation's largest tobacco maker said his company was the only tobacco producer to argue in favor of the federal law banning flavored cigarettes. The law also requires merchants to keep tobacco products behind the counter and to require an ID for purchase. Altria does make some flavored smokeless products.

Copyright 2012 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments

The views expressed below are not those of News4Jax or its affiliated companies. By clicking on "Post," you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and your comment is in compliance with such terms. Readers, please help keep this discussion respectful and on topic by flagging comments that are offensive or inappropriate (hover over the commenter's name and you'll see the flag option appear on right side of that line). And remember, respect goes both ways: Tolerance of others' opinions is important in a free discourse. If you're easily offended by strong opinions, you might skip reading comments entirely.

National News

The Obama administration will unveil a major climate change plan Monday aimed at a large reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the nation's coal-burning power plants, a senior administration official told CNN.